South Sudan passes its own labor law in parliament

Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-15 00:52:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The transitional parliament of South Sudan on Tuesday passed a labor bill that seeks to protect workers' rights and provide guidelines for employment of foreigners in the war-torn nation.

The world's youngest nation has been operating without a labor law since it gained independence from Sudan in July 2011.

The East African nation has been using the labor law of Sudan despite repeated lobbying by labor unions for the past six years.

Mary Hilary Wani, undersecretary for labor and industrial relations in the ministry of labor, said the government had faced numerous difficulties in enforcing labor regulations for the past six years, and the new law would be crucial in regulating the labor market.

Wani further said the labor law would help the government crack down on foreigners working without permits and international organizations that failed to comply with a policy that demands them to have at least 80 percent of workforce from South Sudan.

Simon Deng, President of South Sudan Workers Trade Union, described passing of the labor bill as a milestone for the labor industry in South Sudan, adding that it will help protect the rights of both employees and their employees.

The constitution of South Sudan demands that bills passed by the parliament be assented by the president by before becoming laws.